Sportsmanship lacking

Saturday

Mar 29, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Editor: A very belated congratulations to the teams participating in the Central Carolina's Conference basketball championship held last month at Lexington Senior High School. Hats off to the victors, the North Rowan Cavaliers, who captured both the boys' and the girls' crowns.

Editor: A very belated congratulations to the teams participating in the Central Carolina's Conference basketball championship held last month at Lexington Senior High School. Hats off to the victors, the North Rowan Cavaliers, who captured both the boys' and the girls' crowns.Also, the host boys' team, Lexington's Yellow Jackets, played exceptionally well and walked away with the runner-up trophy for their valiant efforts. North and Lexington finished the regular season as conference co-champions, and both teams should continue to perform well in the next few seasons to come.Good sportsmanship has always been a key aspect of any game in any sport. The aforementioned contest was no exception. That's why, even though both teams performed well on the floor, I was somewhat baffled by the response from the Lexington boys when the game concluded.Customarily, the losing team lines up to shake the hands of the winning team, both sides commending the other for a game well-played. However, this did not occur at the conclusion of this game. What was the reason for this? Why did the Yellow Jackets not shake the Cavaliers' hands? Despite the assumptions I heard, I can't answer these questions.But, this I will say — it didn't look right for the Lexington players and coaches to hurry off the floor and not acknowledge the winning team. North has lost its share of games this past season, but even in defeat I've never witnessed them treat the opposing team the way that they were treated in the Lexington gym.Please, remember that part of every athletic contest is the fact that one team must win, one team must lose. If you're on the losing side, still hold your head high and give your opponents their proper acknowledgements. As players, you never want to give the impression that you are "sore losers," especially when you know that not to be true. And as coaches, you always want your team to represent you well, victorious or not, by demonstrating good sportsmanship before, during and after every game.Best wishes to both the Lexington and North Rowan squads for the 2014-15 year.Craig ThomasSalisbury

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